Heroin Addiction Rehab Center and Abuse Help
Treating an addiction to heroin usually involves medication ,therapy,lifestyle changes & support groups Heroin addiction Rehab Center are available at both inpatient and outpatient treatment centers.
Detox is the first step toward overcoming heroin. It’s best not to try detoxing without the help of a physician. Heroin withdrawal is often painful and can last weeks for some, but physicians can prescribe medication that can minimize discomfort and Rehab help the body slowly readjust.
Therapy is also an important aspect for tackling the underlying behaviors that led to a person’s heroin use. Therapy can also tackle co-occurring disorders like depression.
Due to the symptoms of withdrawal and the psychological grip heroin has on its users, a professional treatment center usually offers the best chances of a successful recovery.
How can people get treatment for heroin addiction?
A range of treatments including medicines and behavioral therapies are effective in helping people stop heroin use.
Medicines include buprenorphine and methadone. They work by binding to the same opioid receptors in the brain as heroin but more weakly, reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Another treatment is naltrexone, which blocks opioid receptors and prevents opioid drugs from having an effect.
Behavioral therapies for heroin addiction include contingency management and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Contingency management (motivational incentives) provides vouchers or small cash rewards for positive behaviors such as staying drug-free.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps modify the patient’s drug-use expectations and behaviors, and effectively manage triggers and stress. These behavioral treatment approaches have proven effective, especially when used along with medicines. Read more about drug addiction treatment in our Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction DrugFacts.
Heroin Addiction Medications
Medical management is important in helping wean individuals off heroin by helping to reduce cravings and prevent future use. Some medications commonly prescribed to people addicted to heroin include:
Buprenorphine. As an opioid, buprenorphine interacts with the same receptors as heroin, though its effects are limited. This helps with withdrawal and cravings.
Methadone. Although stronger than buprenorphine, methadone essentially works in the same way. Methadone use is controversial because it can build up in the body if taken too often, making overdose more likely; it is also potentially addictive itself.
Naltrexone. Also used in treating alcoholism, naltrexone blocks opioid receptors. This reduces cravings and prevents heroin from having an effect when taken.
Suboxone. This is a combination of buprenorphine and naltrexone. This combination not only relieves withdrawal pain, but also inhibits the effects of heroin.
Points to Remember
Heroin is an opioid drug made from morphine, a natural substance taken from the seed pod of the Asian opium poppy plant.
Heroin can be a white or brown powder, or a black sticky substance known as black tar heroin.
People inject, snort, or smoke heroin. Some people mix heroin with crack cocaine, called a speedball.
Heroin enters the brain rapidly and changes back into morphine. It binds to opioid receptors on cells located in many areas of the brain, especially those involved in feelings of pain and pleasure.
People who use heroin report feeling euphoria accompanied by effects that include dry mouth, heavy feelings in the hands and feet, and clouded mental functioning.
Long-term effects may include collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, and lung complications.
Research suggests that misuse of prescription opioid pain medicine is a risk factor for starting heroin use.
A person can overdose on heroin. Naloxone is a medicine that can treat a heroin overdose when given right away.
Heroin can lead to addiction, a form of substance use disorder. Withdrawal symptoms include muscle and bone pain, sleep problems, diarrhea and vomiting, and severe heroin cravings.
A range of treatments including medicines and behavioral therapies are effective in helping people stop heroin use.
Tips to Prevent Heroin Relapse
Don’t stop taking medications. People who are prescribed medications like buprenorphine should continue taking the drugs until a doctor advises it’s safe to stop. Stopping these medications can lead to the emergence of post-acute heroin withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Withdrawal all to often leads to relapse.
Continue counseling and meetings. Heroin has lasting effects on the brain reward system long after the drug is out of the body. One day of stress can tempt people to use, but support from a therapist or a 12-step meeting can alleviate temptations.
Be careful with new prescriptions. Some people relapse because they were prescribed opiate-based pain relievers like hydrocodone. Recovering heroin addicts that have surgery or break a bone should be upfront with their physician about their addiction. There are non-narcotic pain relievers available and physicians can treat pain while minimizing the potential for relapse.
Make sober friends and find sober hobbies. Boredom is one of the most common complaints from recovering heroin addicts readjusting to life without the drug. The best way to combat this boredom is to find friends to join in productive activities. One recovering heroin addict found comfort in playing sports, seeing movies and going to the beach with people he met in support meetings.